Living
by monophobian
Summary: KOGKAG. Originally called "Cute". Thrust into a world she didn't want and stuck with people she doesn't know, Kagome's world turns on its head. Her best friend is keeping secrets, her old friends can't help her, and her new friends are dangerous. All she can do is survive; she'll deal with everything else later. - - - Vampire/Werewolf AU.
1. Cute

_This started out as a prompt for AU Yeah August, mixed with a request I received on Tumblr. Then it grew._  
 _Original prompt: "Vampire kagome and werewolf kouga running into each other for the first time?"_  
 _Reverse Crush AU for AU Yeah August._

 _Y'all, I didn't know I needed this in my life. I've done a vampire Kouga before, but this? This is magical. It's amazing. I love it already._

* * *

Oh no. The wolf was cute.

Kagome was never going to get used to this. The lack of sunlight? Awful. Walking past mirrors and having no reflection? Disturbing. Never being able to feign ignorance to the sheer amount of non-human creatures on the earth? Unsettling. All things she woke up to discover, all things that altered her world, all things she would struggle accepting.

But out of all that, what really threw her through a loop the shocking realization upon meeting a werewolf — the first werewolf she'd ever encountered after after being warned to never, ever get near one — that not _only_ was he nice and charismatic, he was cute.

 _Seriously_ cute.

He had a crooked grin and it wasn't fair. Crooked grins on handsome faces with strong jaws shouldn't be allowed. It went against nature to give so many good things to one person, considering everything else had a balance. Like Kagome. Given a larger bust, but left with a booty that wasn't anything special to write home about. Long legs, but a shorter torso so good-fitting dresses were hard to find. Shiny, thick hair, but awful to deal with and it frizzed at the slightest show of humidity.

So really. To put a crooked grin on tan skin and then have the top canines of a werewolf peeking out from his upper lip — nothing about this was fair.

"You're new," he said, his words the furthest thing from a question which _also_ wasn't fair. Ever since he showed up, she'd had question after question and not a single answer like the statement he just gave. "Where's your sire?"

"Sire?" she echoed, her gaze flicking from his grin to his eyes — oh _wow_ , even from the dim street light, she could see how blue they were — to the other weres around him and then back to the man who caught her attention.

Way too cute.

"Creator?" he expanded, some of his grin fading. "The vamp who turned you."

"Oh!" she answered without thinking. "Inuyasha."

And with that answer, his grin disappeared completely and instead turned into a scowl. "You're Inuyasha's?"

Considering his growl wasn't the fun kind, Kagome wondered if this was a bad thing.

"Well, I don't _belong_ to him," she clarified, not liking the ownership those words conveyed. "We're just friends. He bit me and turned me, but that's it."

His blue eyes narrowed and his shoulders squared and Kagome fought to keep from fidgeting under his assessing stare. "That's it?"

"He _used_ to be a friend," she corrected, the anger at the memory overriding any notion of keeping her mouth shut. "But last I heard, friends didn't bite friends and turn them into immortal beings that shouldn't exist without telling them, and they definitely don't shrug their shoulders and say what's done is done when you ask them about it!"

Her words rang through the empty alley and she closed her eyes. She said too much. That wasn't a story she wanted to share with anyone because it wasn't a story she ever wanted to remember. Inuyasha had been everything to her — the strong friend when she needed a shoulder to lean on, the source of laughter when she needed to smile, and the consistent presence that grew with her memories. To think she'd even started falling in love with him and he repaid her by ruining her life.

The werewolf stilled and the contrast caught her attention, the life simmering under his skin going quiet. His presence grew in intensity and suddenly, that cute got a whole lot more appealing.

Stupid that she always had a thing for larger-than-life personalities. Inuyasha exuded personality with every moment and while the wolf didn't wear his the same, it was obvious he had _something_ and wore it proudly.

"You didn't choose to be turned?" he asked softly.

A warning flag sounded in his tone, showed in his posture, and she recalled a vague memory of one of the quick conversations where Inuyasha gave _some_ explanation of what her existence turned into.

"I… well—"

"That _bastard_."

"No, it's okay, promise," she backtracked quickly, worried about the sudden anger in his tone. She looked at the two weres behind him and neither one looked any more pleasant or welcoming to her explanation.

Man, it always had to be the cute one.

"No, it's not," he ground out in response.

"He didn't have a choice," Kagome argued anyway.

"He _always_ has a choice."

"He really didn't—"

"Listen—"

"I was already dying!

…

Oh _shoot_.

Moment number two Kagome took her foot and shoved it right past her lips. The mere thought of keeping things to herself? Obviously a lofty idea she wouldn't ever be able to achieve, _especially_ when faced with a cute werewolf and his werewolf friends and completely out of her mind with unanswered questions and half-baked worries.

But at least the werewolves seemed as shocked as she was, if their expressions were anything to go by. She wasn't sure. The only other non-human she'd actually spoken to so far was Inuyasha's half-brother. She hadn't even known Inuyasha _had_ a half-brother, but the vampire had shown up three mornings after she grew fangs - coincidentally, the first day her injuries were completely healed - and after a terse, confusing, one-sided conversation that told her absolutely nothing of any use, Inuyasha disappeared with the secret, long-lost family member.

"You were already dying?"

In a late effort to keep from blabbing her entire life story to the really cute stranger with the crooked grin and sparking eyes and single, distracting dimple, Kagome bit her lip, careful of her fangs, and held her breath.

"Vampire, you—"

"Kagome," she corrected, ignoring that she barely got two seconds before opening her mouth.

"Kagome?" he echoed, some of the frown leaving his face.

"My name." Okay, maybe _some_ information wouldn't be so terrible? "I don't— I'd rather you call me that than… well. I'd rather you call me my name."

His eyes shifted, warmed in unspoken understanding, and he nodded. "Alright, Kagome," he said softly and she liked how he said her name in his soft voice. "I know you don't know me, but would you come with us?"

She jerked, a 'no' on the tip of her tongue, but he beat her to it.

"It's just to get privacy," he explained quickly, "and to make you more comfortable with what you're dealing with. We're not going to hurt you."

"You're werewolves," Kagome pointed out the obvious, her gaze darting between the three of them. "Of the very little I was told, it did include that werewolves and vampires don't get along."

"Most don't," he ceded easily while taking a careful step closer, "and there's a history there on both sides, but I see no point in holding you accountable for the actions of others."

She wanted to believe him. He seemed to be telling the truth, even though her new instincts were still _new_ and going crazy and she hadn't quite figured out what they meant. However, they didn't seem to be screaming for her to get away, so maybe that was something?

…but that could also be because he's cute. _Incredibly_ cute.

Damn hormones.

"I'm Kouga," he continued before nodding at the guys behind him. "Ginta and Hakkaku. The city is our area and there are two other vampires that live in the north end. We've managed to keep the peace well so far and I don't want that to change any time soon."

"So why not just leave me alone?"

Those already welcoming eyes softened further and Kagome had to bite her cheek.

"Kagome."

It was _not fair_ how her named sounded on his lips. She never should have told him, but something about his tone kept her from melting at how gentle he was being.

"Have you fed?"

Kagome stilled, her body going cold. _Fed_. She knew what that meant, knew it was a reality she didn't want to face, and also knew that Inuyasha should have been around to help her through the process.

"No," she answered in a small voice.

"Please come with me," he said again, holding out his hand. "Last thing I want is for you to end up hurt."

When she hesitated, he threw out what she realized was the trump card he'd been holding his entire time.

"The sun is coming up in an hour and you need to feed before then. Let's get you fed, inside, and safe and then we'll answer any questions you have."

She closed her eyes, knowing there was no choice. Facing sunlight? After the first, full night alone? In a new world she didn't recognize?

What other choice did she have?

* * *

 _This seems so fragmented, I almost don't know how to fix it. But I'm tired of looking at it and I actually really like the world I got to play in. I never thought of having Kagome as a vampire, so that was a challenge when I started out, but as soon as I got to writing, the story gave easily._

 _And reversing their crush is something I never would have considered and I am so freaking happy I did. This was so much fun to explore._

 _Also, I don't normally make Inuyasha a dick in my kogkag fics (because I hate that trope with the eternal fury of a thousand suns) and he's not intended to be terrible in this one. However, he's blinded and little misguided and whole lot in over his head and poor Kagome gets the brunt of that. One of those things where I didn't want to go out of my way to paint him in a bad light, but this is set in the early stage of his canon character development, which...doesn't really reflect well on the situation._

 _Let me know what you think!_


	2. Safe

_Yes, this was a drabble. Yes, I was going to leave it a drabble. No, I don't have time for another story, but yes, I'm here anyway. UntappedChaos on AO3 bribed me. They made an offer and now, because I desperately want to continue reading Raising Dead, I have to crank out more chapters of this. This is all their fault._

 _:)_

 _Alright, actual notes:_

 _\- Rating change because vampires and that means blood and violence and referenced violence, so I want to be safe. Also because I don't lack self-awareness and I realize that the possibility of me writing a multi-chaptered fic without at least the reference to smut is in negative numbers. I'll warn should it grow further._  
 _\- TONE SHIFT. The previous chapter was a lot more whimsical than my normal writing voice and while I've tried to keep that light-hearted narrative, it's starting to even out. I hope it comes across well._  
 _\- I'm going to try to keep this drabble-esque. Seems like each chapter's going to sit around 1400 words, so that'll keep me from freaking out about adding on another story._  
 _\- The title is going to change because this is now going to be a fleshed out story instead of a drabble, so expect that to happen when I figure out a better title._

 _Please let me know what you think!_

* * *

Kagome was going to be sick.

It didn't matter that she was feeling strong. It didn't matter that she was awake and alert and sharper than she had been a few hours ago. It didn't matter that the unease growing in her stomach all night was gone, replaced by a sick satisfaction and twisted fulfillment. She could still taste the blood in her mouth, still feel the pulse beat against her lips, still remember that thick liquid coating her tongue.

Still hear the man's whimper when her teeth pierced his skin.

"If you throw up," Kouga said in a gentle, quiet voice, "you'll have to do it again."

His words worked. She couldn't do that again. Absolutely not. It was too personal, too close, too much to be able to handle a second time. Kagome couldn't fathom how she would ever survive having to do that night after night, but she wasn't about to do it again. At least not right now.

And beyond that, she absolutely was _not_ going to vomit in front of Kouga.

Pulling in a slow breath through her nose, she tried to push the memory out of her head. Her body was feeling great; it was just her mind that wanted to reject everything she just consumed. Kouga's warm hand rubbing her back helped center her, remind her that a seriously cute werewolf was watching all of this and it might be utterly shallow to be focusing on how she looked at this very moment, but it was _important_. He was _cute_. And she was going to be stuck with him for the foreseeable future, so not throwing up in front of the cute werewolf was a very, _very_ important priority.

"You about ready, Kagome?" he asked as his hand drifted up to grasp her shoulder. "Not trying to rush you, but we need to be out of here before he starts waking up."

That was the only good thing about the entire night — she didn't have to kill the man she fed from. No, she just had to let Kouga do something to make him delirious then sink her fangs through the vein of his wrist and drink.

Nope. No. She had to stop that thought there before it led down to another trail of thoughts that really would have her losing her stomach and her pride. And so, instead of remembering everything of the last thirty minutes, she forced herself to her feet and forced her thoughts onto anything but the man sitting against the building. _Anywhere but him, anywhere but him_.Kagome's eyes latched onto the first non-human-victim she saw and Kouga had her complete, undivided attention.

Again.

 _Damn_ him for being so cute.

Something must have shown on her face because Kouga's lips lifted in a grin. "It might not have been a good situation to turn you, but at least Inutrasha picked a good woman to turn."

… _what?_

"Oh man," Ginta piped up. "It took us _weeks_ to be able to eat without barfing."

Hakkaku nodded, watching her carefully with a bit of admiration in his gaze. "And our food's still animals. Good on you for getting through that."

Her stomach roiled and Kaogme had to put a stop to the conversation immediately. "Grateful as I am for your support, you guys keep talking and all this effort is going to go to waste."

"Can't have that." Kouga's eyes flicked down the alley and he tugged her after him. "Let's get going. We got thirty minutes left and that's cutting it a little too close for me."

She didn't say anything and hurried after him, flanked by the two other weres as they stepped back onto the street. No one was around, but they didn't take any chances and set off toward the residential part of town, where she followed in awe. She and Inuyasha lived in the same apartment building closer to the industrial district where the rents were lower. Kagome always dreamed of landing a good career that would allow her to buy one of these homes a little further away, but it had always been a dream. It was surreal to be heading there enow with the last people she would have expected.

Though it also didn't surprise her at all.

"Is he going to remember me?" she asked. As much as she didn't want to think about what she just did, she couldn't ignore the growing unease of anyone ever finding out.

"Nope," Kouga answered. "He might dream about you, but not of you biting him."

She blinked, not understanding and not sure she wanted to know.

At her silence, he glanced back and another grin grew on his face. "I doubt that man will regret what he dreams about."

Oh. _Ew_.

No, she definitely didn't want to know.

"You're not helping," she snapped, aggravated in spite of her relief. "I don't even know what you did before you shoved his hand in my face."

"I'll teach you later when we have a bit more time," Kouga answered. His gaze kept darting between the road and the sky. "For now, let's just get you inside and safe."

Kagome hurried her steps.

They led her to a quaint house at the end of a cul-de-sac, tucked away in a neighborhood separated from the busy streets leading into the city. It was too dark to see if there was anything around, but she got the impression of trees lining behind the homes. Probably a handy feature when the house contained werewolves.

Even inside, she didn't have much time to explore as Kouga tugged her toward the kitchen and then down to the basement. Made sense, when she thought about it. It was probably the most comfortable room in the house that didn't have windows.

A pang hit her chest, a cold, dark realization sinking in her gut. A vampire. A true, actual vampire with all the bells and whistles. A being that couldn't walk in the sun.

"The couch pulls out into a bed," Kouga was saying as he brought her into the room. "You can watch TV, sleep, we'll bring down some games if you want—" He stopped, his gaze flicking over her face. "What's wrong, Kagome?"

She shook her head, looking everywhere but him. If she looked at the cute werewolf that continued saving her and saw genuine concern for someone he just met that isn't even the same species, she was going to cry. And she refused to cry. She _couldn't_ cry — not after everything that happened that night. Not now when she was finally feeling safe and secure.

"Kagome?"

He moved toward her and she panicked, stepping back as her hands flew up to keep him from getting closer. He couldn't get closer, he couldn't _see_ —

" _Kagome._ " His hands closed around her wrists, tucking them against his chest and holding her still. "Kagome, what's wrong?"

She was shaking. Tremors wracked her body, only even more pronounced against his firm, still chest. Her hands, her arms, down her spine, Kagome couldn't stop. Trembling in his hold, keeping her gaze fixed on the couch, trying desperately not to give into the bleak thoughts, the horrific truth thrust onto her new existence.

The very existence she hadn't asked for.

"Kagome?"

God, even the _werewolf_ sounded concerned. He had nothing to do with this new horror for her, nothing to do with her life, and here he was taking care of her. He was supposed to hate her. Vampires and werewolves didn't get along, but here he was getting her fed and keeping her safe and doing everything Inuyasha should have done. Everything Inuyasha should be doing.

Why did her best friend leave her?

"Kagome," Kouga repeated. "Kagome, look at me."

She couldn't fight it anymore. His blue eyes were even bluer under the lights, flecks of navy swimming in a sea of cobalt, adding a depth she didn't know was there. His face was twisted in concern, his hands still steady on her wrists, and something in her cracked at the sight.

"I'm never going to see the sun again, am I?" It was a whisper that filled the room and she felt more than heard the basement go silent.

When his eyes gentled, that pity she didn't want to see coming forward, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Dropping her head to his chest, she stopped fighting the losing battle and gave into her tears.


	3. Fury

His shirt was wet, his control frayed, and Kouga was utterly exhausted, but Kagome was finally asleep. It was a good thing she was so short. She fit on his couch perfectly without having to pull out the mattress. Last thing he wanted to do was wake her up and remind her of her pain, so he gently laid her out over the cushions, tucking a pillow under her head for comfort. He found a light blanket and laid it over her, then finally made his escape after turning off the light.

Not that he wanted to be away from her. Surprisingly enough, her presence was soothing — a rarity to find in vampires. No, he left because he didn't trust himself to stay. He was so angry, so infuriated, Kouga couldn't risk it. She finally found a moment's peace and he wasn't going to rob her of that for anything.

"How is she?" Ginta asked, his tone soft as Kouga pushed into the kitchen. Hakkaku was standing on the other end, concern marking both of their faces. "We didn't want to interrupt."

Kouga crossed to the fridge, pulled it open and grabbed a beer. It was way late — or early, depending how one looked at it — but with the storm of emotions churning in his chest, he needed the taste. Just a little bit of something to help ease the sharp corners tugging in his gut.

Three large gulps later and he could answer. "I'm going to kill him."

Neither one look surprised, but Ginta asked to clarify, "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah." He finished the beer and consciously tossed the bottle into the trash. He wanted to throw the thing across the room and listen to it shatter against the wall, then follow it up with one or two or seven more, but the noise might wake up Kagome. With his still-damp shirt a conscious reminder of why she needed that hard-won rest, he had to make sure that didn't happen.

Instead, he focused his anger into carefully controlled words. "Turning her without her consent? Leaving her to fend on her own? Not teaching her the basics to help her survive?" His snarl filled the small room. "He should be strung up, shot, and left in the sun."

Grabbing another beer from the fridge, he stalked out of the kitchen and headed into the living room. His skin itched, the hairs on his arm and neck prickling against his nerves. Restless energy coursed through his veins and he knew it had absolutely nothing to do with the nearing full moon. He'd feel this way even if it were a new moon, finding some way to channel the violence seeping from his pores.

That poor girl had her entire life ripped away from her and rather than help see her through it, the leech up and ran. Didn't tell her anything, didn't give her any help, just left.

Some fucking friend.

Sprawled out on the couch, Kouga sipped his new beer. Maybe taking this one slower could help calm his nerves enough to get a couple hours of sleep. He'd need the energy to track down information for Kagome and figure out where her incompetent sire ran off to. And then he'd need the energy not to kill him.

"Do you think he might have been summoned?" Ginta asked, opening his own beer and sitting in the overstuffed chair across from Kouga. Propping his feet on the coffee table between them, he took a sip. "Leaving her is a pretty serious crime, isn't it? I didn't think vamps lasted long if they didn't follow the rules."

Kouga scoffed. Some rules they were, judging by the vampire currently sleeping in his basement. Not that he knew much about the vampire society. Vampires and werewolves did not mix, not ever. Even in extreme situations, they did their best to never cross paths. Had it been any other person there in that alley, he would have kept his nose to himself and continued on his way.

There was just something about Kagome, an innocence in her scent that didn't exist with most vampires. He knew she was young, barely turned from the lingering scent of death on her, but he hadn't expected her to be days old. Days old and left alone.

Whatever laws vampires had apparently weren't strict enough if they didn't prevent her being left alone to die.

"Hakkaku," he said after another sip of beer. "Can you get a message out? We need to find Inuyasha and figure out what's going on, though I don't want him to know we have her."

Hakkaku's brows rose. "You thinking of keeping her?"

"No." The memory of pain swimming in those big, blue eyes had his gut clenching. He couldn't see that again. "Maybe. Look, I'm not about to let him take her if he's just going to abandon her like that again, but I want to know what the fuck he was thinking."

Hakkaku nodded, leaning against the back of Ginta's chair. "If he thinks we know of her, he's going to come looking."

"He better." Kouga would string the man up himself if he didn't. Kagome was his responsibility for the first year of her new life. Anything she did, Inuyasha would have to answer for and if he knew werewolves caught her wandering their territory alone just days after she was turned, he'd hurry to fix that mistake. "He knows better than to leave her like that."

"Kouga," Ginta's voice held warning. "We've never been on speaking terms before. Why do you think he'll respond this time if he thinks we just want information? He'll probably want to cover his tracks and convince everyone we're lying."

"I'm hoping he'll be looking for her. Vampire or not, she said they were best friends. That has to count for something, right?"

Ginta's face showed his doubt and Kouga bit back a curse. Vampires didn't form families the way werewolves did. Who knew what it would take for Inuyasha to do anything? Kouga didn't want that to happen for Kagome's sake. He couldn't imagine how much more she'd hurt if it came out that her friendship had been a lie.

No matter. If it came to that, Kouga would deal with it. As far as he was concerned, Inuyasha already showed them he wasn't worth a damn thing, doing what he did to an innocent human, but he couldn't dictate Kagome's feelings. All he could do was deal with the aftermath should Inuyasha prove to be a complete jackass. Until then, he'd keep his opinion to himself. She already had enough to deal with.

"Do you think she'll be better when she wakes up?"

He sighed, shoulders falling under the weight of that question. It was something he'd been dreading to consider. "No," he rasped, finishing his beer. How could she be? "It's still sinking in. She's lost her entire life and hasn't realized it yet and there's not a damn thing we can do to make that any easier for her."

This part was never easy. Even as werewolves who could learn enough to go back to a semblance of their old lives, it wasn't easy. Learning that your entire future was changed in an instant was a hard pill to swallow. They had the benefit of time, adjusting between the moon cycles and slowly coming to terms. Vampires…

Vampires didn't.

He stood, taking his empty bottle to the trash. The call of a third one danced around his head, but two was enough. Just enough to take the edge off and help the last of the adrenaline fade away into exhaustion. A third one might light up his fury or send him back down in that basement for reasons unknown. Probably in an ill-gotten attempt at shielding that poor girl from the despair she was about to face.

"If she's lucky, she'll have already lost her family." Never before had he ever wished someone to be alone in the world. No one should be, but it would be easier on her. If she had family, close family that she would have to say goodbye to— Kouga put a stop to that thought before pity, pain, and anger could take root again.

Tomorrow, he'd focus on what needed to be done. Refocus, regroup, and plan the best actions to take. For right now, he needed to sleep and put it all behind him for a few hours. It had been a long fucking night.

"Lock up on your way out, would you?" He headed toward his bedroom without a glance back. "I'll call when I wake up."

Maybe Hakkaku would have information and they could start hunting down answers then.

* * *

 _Getting the ball rolling on this one, though I can't guarantee the next one will come as quickly. I really need to focus a bit of time on my other stories._

 _Anyway, we're dabbling a little bit into Kouga's mind. What do you think? Let me know! :)_


	4. Discovery

_*strolls in with Starbucks* Happy New Year! :D_

 _Sorry for the long wait for this one. I...whew. Man, do I have a lot of reasons as to why it's taken so long. Between the holidays and families and work and stress and bills and the fact that I actually tried to plot this one out and then lost all motivation to finish and- OH! I did a writing boot camp, Couch to 80k. I started beginning of November and it's an eight week course that took me eleven weeks to complete (holidays and life), and that's what **really** stole all my time from writing fanfiction._

 _But moving on from there. I **strug-gled** with this chapter. Good thing about plotting out the potential story is that I can now weave a few more story lines in other than 'Kagome meets Kouga and they fall in love', but that also means that I have to now write those. And I've been looking at this chapter for far too long and still not happy with it, so I'm posting it now and moving on to greener pastures. (At least I hope.)_

 _Thank you for being so patient(!) and please let me know what you think! Reviews make the writing world go 'round. :)_

* * *

There was a missing body.

It was incredibly easy to overlook. None of the reports included even the possibility of a victim in the accident and he could see why. The elevator shaft was a mess of enormous proportions. The car itself was a mangled mess of steel, the sides crumbled in on itself, the wires snapped and of no use anymore. Pointing a flashlight up, it was easy to see the scratches along the sides of the shaft where the cart scraped and bounced along as it fell.

The apartment complex was going to have one hell of a time fixing this. They might just have to replace the entire thing.

And still, there was the lingering suspicion that this story had more to tell. None of the hospitals in the city reported a patient with the kinds of injuries that would come from an accident like this one and the digital footprint left by the elevator's computer didn't have enough information to confirm or deny the presence of a passenger. The building was busy enough; it was common to have multiple people waiting for it at any given time. And considering the street party happening just down the block when the elevator broke, anything could have happened.

But that didn't explain the imprints left in the floor, the particular dents and breaks that appeared to have cradled a human body. No blood to be found, dusting for fingerprints would prove redundant, and the building didn't have camera footage, so there wasn't anything he could check for concrete evidence whether the cart held a victim or not.

Except for those dents.

Miroku wasn't certain what he made of it, kneeling there in the basement of the building. It was a quiet area, only one living apartment down on this floor and the tenant was out on family business for the week, so he had time. It wouldn't be unusual to find him at the scene simply because of the few gifts he actually carried — and the few more rumors liked to accredit him with.

If anything, he would claim mere curiosity. That his instincts demanded he take a closer look at the accident before all traces were completely cleaned away. Most would read the truth in the statement, allowing their own beliefs and suspicions to fill in the rest.

Still wouldn't account for what he saw. There had been a person in that cart when it fell seven stories, and somehow, that person managed to walk out unscathed.

And if there was one thing Miroku knew better than most, it was that no human could have survived.

...

"Ginta?"

The werewolf looked up from the computer, unable to hide the exhaustion on his face. Not that Hakkaku was looking any better. They didn't have much left to do considering everything they'd been able to accomplish so far, but even that wouldn't have him asleep as soon as he hoped.

"Any luck?"

He shoved a hand through his hair, not even caring how terrible it might look. "No one has solid information about the Council, just rumors here and there. Though all those rumors seem to agree that any issues that arise from vampires are dealt by the Council, but I can't find anything that states what the laws actually are and how they're dealt with. Just the things we've been able to put together ourselves through the years."

Hakkaku nodded, confirming what Ginta already knew — this wasn't new information and exactly what they'd expected to find.

"You?"

The man fell into a chair, barely remaining upright. "Seems Inuyasha has a half-brother. Name 'Sesshoumaru' ring a bell?"

Unease gathered in his stomach. "Old kind with long white hair and one hellish bite?"

"That's the one." Hakkaku rubbed at one eye, not that it did much good.

"Half-brother, though, right?"

"I wish it was that simple. No, it appears Inuyasha was born the same way Sesshoumaru was, just with a different mother."

 _Shit_. All this time, an old kind resided in the city and they hadn't known?

"Seems something caught his attention the night after Kagome was turned and next thing anyone knows, he appears here to have a chat with his estranged sibling."

"He knows."

"It's possible. Old kind are funny in their own way. Wouldn't surprise me if good ol' daddy knows if and when his sons decide to bring more into the family."

Ginta hated the old kind. Vampires in general had the potential to be nasty creatures, but to be one of the original ones? No wonder Kagome had been dead for days without feeding. With Inuyasha's blood, she might have been able to go without tonight. It just hadn't been something they could have risked.

"Any news on when he'll be back?"

Hakkaku laughed. "Everyone guesses within the week considering he has Kagome to take care of. But seeing how he left her as he did…"

"…we won't know until he shows up."

Even now, he could feel the pulse of Kouga's anger reflect his own. He definitely had no use for vampires, but even the lowest of the low took care of their own or they didn't survive. Inuyasha would have to come up with a surprisingly good reason to abandon Kagome like he did and escape the werewolves' wrath.

"Alright. That's all I can find out right now. I should have some more information coming in through the day." Hakkaku stood, holding out a hand to help Ginta off the uncomfortable computer chair. "And if I'm going to be stuck waiting, might as well be sleeping."

Ginta sent off one last email, a last resort from an old contact that lived near a few Council members. Might be a dead end, but it couldn't hurt to check. He let Hakkaku pull him out of the chair and quickly shut down the house. Locking the door, he was grateful to live so close to Kouga.

"Could you take any longer?" Hakkaku whined on the doorstep as the sky started to brighten.

"If you remembered to bring your own keys, you wouldn't have to wait for me," Ginta replied, falling in normal banter as they crept through the neighborhood to the house they shared two streets down.

"And be left locking up Kouga's house?" Hakkaku shivered. "No, thank you. One mistake and he'd rip my head off, especially now that he has a new guest."

Ginta nodded in agreement, his pace quickening at the sight of their front door. Just a few more steps and he'd be in his bed, finally getting the sleep he so desperately needed.

...

He missed this. The smell of death and decay on the night air, the feel of blood flowing down the body, the fear still lingering in those eyes wide open, trapping the scream of their final breath. The heartbeat was truly his favorite, listening as it slowed to a sluggish pace before easing his hunger. That small spark of hope that arrived, brightening just the barest of expressions as they pled for him to let them go.

This one had been male. Not that he cared for the particular gender of his victim. No, that never mattered. All that mattered was the usefulness their body would play, the purpose he could gleam from their corpse. And in this one, he needed a man.

Newly turned vampires often went toward their preferred sex at first. They never did quite learn how to turn down the sensual pull of feasting at the luxurious pulse hammering under the skin when sex was near, at least not for the first few months. And while it was a guess in this era's new-found freedom, it was a guess he knew to be correct.

She smelled of him, that stupid vampire that didn't know any better. Riding on the curtails of his family name, flaunting the aspects of life his particular existence offered, daring to chase after the people he had no business touching.

Inuyasha tainted the name of vampire by sinking his fangs into that human girl.

But he did. He turned her, turned that worthless bag of flesh into an undying creature for no real reason other than sympathy. Oh, and the ever proclaimed value of _friendship_.

He sneered at the thought, tossing the dried husk of a corpse to the ground. It helped that the victim stumbled here on his own, drunk or high or whatever humans did these days to forget their meaningless existence. The death scene had already been painted — all he had to do was finish the task.

It took nothing to disguise the kill. Human cops would see an animal attack. Supernatural beings would see it for what it was meant to be: the bloodthirsty drinking of a newly-turned vampire. The baby would have to be put down. The Council never forgave early misdeeds as easily as they did those who had legacies attached to their name. But it wasn't the fresh blood he was most excited for. No, it was the sire — because when a new vampire killed in such that drew attention, the sire answered as well.

And with no petition for a Changing, it would speak of a vampire gone rogue.


	5. Move

The house was oddly quiet.

She didn't remember much noise from the night— _morning_ before, though it was hard to hear anything after she cried herself to sleep. It wasn't a memory she wanted to think about, wishing it never happened instead of knowing she ugly cried on the most attractive man she'd seen in a long time. Oh, Kouga didn't deserve that. Not one bit.

But there wasn't anything she could do about it now. And even remembering his strong hold surrounding her in warmth and the soothing sounds he made in her ear didn't get rid of the embarrassment. Her mistake of an existence wasn't his fault. She never should have shared that burden with him.

Getting up, she folded the blanket that had been draped over her. A flutter thrilled through her stomach, but she squashed that down as soon as it took flight. Pity for the crying vampire, she told herself. After the mess he found her in, all of his assistance was probably offered because of pity.

The basement was pretty sparse. Other than the couch she slept on, a few chairs, and the TV mounted to the wall, it was empty. She could see where they could prefer that — a lot of space to really stretch out in. Maybe the rest of the werewolves came here to hang out? Or maybe he wanted the space when he was a wolf.

Trying to picture Kouga as something other than the astoundingly hot man that helped her was enough thinking. For the day. The world was already a whirlwind as it was; it didn't make any sense to go borrowing more confusion. If she had to face the cute werewolf in furry form, she'd deal with that when it happened.

Light sounds came from overhead, movements she assumed were blunt steps as someone crossed the house. Maybe Kouga was awake? There wasn't a clock in the basement and the phone in her pocket was dead, but she figured he would be up by now. Not that she had any idea how long she slept. From how tired she was feeling, she could have either slept an hour or eight.

Bad days always followed her through her sleep.

Running her fingers through her hair, she knew the first thing she would do — find a way into her apartment and get a shower. She hadn't been there since…well, since she died. It would be nice to be back in her home.

Some more sounds from above told of someone in the kitchen, so she quickly headed up the stairs. Sooner she found out who was awake, sooner she could head on home. Reaching for the doorknob, she carefully pushed it open—

"No!"

The door slammed back, snapping shut in her face as a hard body hit the other side. She wrenched her hand away, a shriek filling the basement as she found her balance against the wall. What on _earth_?!

"Don't open this yet," came Kouga's muffled voice through the door. "Dear God, Kagome. The sun's still up."

Oh.

Shoot.

A longing filled her, her fingers itching at the knowledge. It had been days since she felt the sun's warmth on her face, Inuyasha keeping her secluded in his basement apartment in their building. And it wouldn't take much just to feel it again. She remembered seeing a large window in Kouga's kitchen over the sink, offering what she assumed was a great view of the backyard and back tree line. It would also offer a ton of natural light.

She ached to see it.

"How bad would it be?" she asked weakly, not even sure if he would hear her.

"With how new you are?" he responded and his voice was close. "At best, you'd end up blind."

The longing twisted, burned in her gut as the small hope in her heart withered to dust. It seemed that's what her days were going to be — waking up and watching more and more of her life be snuffed out until she was left with…whatever this was.

"Kagome, can you go back downstairs for me? Crawl behind the couch, cover your eyes, and don't look until I say it's okay."

She looked at the couch.

"Can you do that for me?"

It really was the only thing she could hide behind in the entire basement. He needed to update the decor.

"Kagome?"

"Yeah, I can do that." She didn't wait for anything else, just headed back down the stairs and crawled behind the couch. Curling up in a ball, she closed her eyes and counted to ten.

The door creaked on _eight_ and her breath caught in her throat.

"Kagome?"

She swallowed around the dry lump of fear. "I'm good."

A squeak of the door opening further and then it closed, followed by quick footsteps down the stairs. How long would it take to get used to this? The extra sounds, the enhanced awareness of a person's presence through the thrumming pulse flowing underneath skin?

"You can come out."

There was an odd note to his voice, a softness she barely heard when she fell apart in front of him, a care that hadn't been spoken even though she saw it in his actions the night before. Looking up, Kouga was crouched next to her, arms braced on his knees and looking at her with an open gaze.

Humor flashed in his eyes. "That can't be comfortable."

It wasn't.

Standing, stretching out from her position, trying to sort her thoughts into something she could actually follow instead of the mush that came from looking at his blue, blue eyes, Kagome gave him a smile. A weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Thanks for letting me sleep here."

Kouga's expression shifted, settling and clearing away all at once. "It was the least I could do."

No, it wasn't. He could have left her for dead, but she kept that thought to herself.

"Was the couch comfortable?" he asked, moving around to sit on one of the cushions. "You would have had more space had we pulled out the bed, but I didn't want to wake you after you fell asleep."

"It was fine." Her smile wobbled as she sank down on the opposite side, but she kept it in place. "I didn't seem to have any trouble sleeping."

His hand twitched and his foot moved, drawing her gaze. "That's very common for vampires," he said reluctantly.

Her spirits fell.

"It's a way to preserve fluids," Kouga continued. "Easier for you to save energy if you sink into a deep sleep for most of the day."

Of course. _Of course_ it was. But what he said made sense and she should be grateful for it. Better to sleep like the dead that to continuously wake up in a strange basement, just wondering what would happen next.

"How long until the sun goes down?" she asked, pulling her knees up into her chest. "Not that I'm not grateful, but I'd like to return to my apartment. Get out of your hair. I'm sure you have other things you need to do."

Kouga's head tilted to the side as he looked at her, muted thoughts flashing in his gaze. It was a very canine gesture, she realized, watching the animal settle into the man right in front of her. "Your apartment?"

She nodded.

"I'm guessing it has a few windows?"

Horror dawned over her face. The only room in her apartment that wasn't touched by a window was her bathroom. How was she going to survive — sleep in her bathtub?

Kouga fished a cell phone from his pocket, tapped the screen a few times and then put it up to his ear. "Hey. Get a hold of some of the guys and have them meet here at the house as soon as they can. Bring a few trucks, some bags, and as many boxes as you can find."

She heard some murmuring on the other end, but it wasn't loud enough to hear clearly.

"Even if we only grab some clothes and her bed, that's better than what she's got."

Kagome's feet hit the ground with a thud, a protest already bubbling up her throat. He couldn't be talking about what she thought he was talking about!

Could he?

"If we have to, we can drag it out over a few days, make sure we're not catching any unwanted attention." He went quiet, his gaze boring into hers even as the corner of his eyes softened with something. "I have no idea. We'll deal with that when it comes up. See you in a few."

He tapped his phone and the screen went dark and Kagome unleashed the hold she had on her tongue.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she screeched. "You can't just order guys to move my stuff!"

"Very polite to keep that to yourself while I was on the phone." He slid the wretched thing back into his pocket and shifted on the couch to face her. "I'm certain Ginta appreciates it, considering how sharp your voice can get."

"If you have such a problem with it—"

"As it is," he said right over her, "there's no way I can let you return home in good conscious. Not now, not when I don't know how Inuyasha planned to deal with all of this."

"All of what?" she asked, her temper still in her voice even as her tension seeped away.

"Kagome." His eyes did that thing where they deepened in a way she somehow knew was meant to be comforting. "You can't live in your apartment. It's not safe for you. And you don't want to be surrounded by so many people right now, not when you haven't been able to adjust to your new life."

"But then—"

"So it only makes sense to move you in here."

 _Move?!_

"Kagome," he said again and something about the way he said her name had her full attention. "Werewolves take care of their own."

"But I'm not—"

"You became a part of my pack last night, whether you realized it or not."

Something shifted in her sternum, something solid and weighted and significant and _right_.

"And you'll be in my pack until you make the decision to leave. But until then, thanks to your sire leaving you high and dry, you're in my pack." He leaned in closer, one hand cupping her jaw and lifting her gaze to his. "And I take care of what's mine."

* * *

 _I feel like this didn't take as long as the last one. :)_

 _Back to Kagome's view! I think most of this story is going to be from her POV, even though I love writing from Kouga's. Not to say we won't get to dive into his brain every now and then, but for the most part Kagome's got the reins._

 _I've already started on the next chapter, but a KogKag VDay event was thrown together on tumblr, so you'll see that little story before I get to updating this one. Still - it's a much more manageable to think about when I know where I'm going and I've already kinda started._

 _Let me know what you think!_


	6. Unsteady

_*waves*_

 _Yeah, it's been a bit, hasn't it. Funny thing is most of this as written back when the last chapter was posted. But then tumblr put on a Valentine's event and...well...all of that is in my incredibly long-winded note at the end of the first part of Pajamas. (Feel free to check that out if Firefighter!Kouga sounds interesting!)_

 _SO YEAH. Here's the next little chapter. Let me know what you think!_

* * *

Boxes were piled in one corner, her bed and nightstand were set up in another, and Kouga was currently carrying a second room divider down the stairs, the first one resting idly against the wall. The couch and chairs were shifted down a little, still in front of the TV, but allowing more space for her to set up her…room.

A loud _thud_ overhead drew her attention, the sound of a large piece of wood hitting the floor causing concern. Kagome waited as patiently as she could for Kouga to clear the stairs, brushing past him as she shot up and out toward the living room. The sun had officially set half an hour ago, but Kouga was being ridiculously cautious with the faint traces of sunlight still in the sky and the furthest she was allowed to go was the living room, where she currently found her dresser.

As well as three weres surrounding it, arguing amongst themselves.

"I told you this was real wood!" blasted one, smoothing his hand along one of the corners. "It matches her nightstand."

"Real wood or not, it still shouldn't be that heavy," came a sharp retort from another, one hand pressed to his back as he arched and twisted into a stretch.

The third were remained silent, his gaze darting between the two before turning to land on her.

She stepped back as recognition flashed in his gaze. What he saw, she wasn't sure, but she would guess it felt vaguely like that trickle of caution her instincts were currently throwing out at her.

"I can get it the rest of the way," she blurted out, not even bothering to hide the lie. Of course she couldn't do it herself, but how could she expect these strangers to do anything for her? "It's easier to move once the drawers are taken out."

When the other two turned and she was standing under three were gazes slowly measuring her up, Kagome doubted the wisdom in leaving the basement.

"We considered that," the quiet one said with a glance at the other two, "but worried you might be uncomfortable with us handling your things."

Her eyes flicked to the top two drawers, knowing one was stuffed full with everyday panties and the other one filled with dainty, lacy things she purchased online when she had too much wine. Some of those things even _she_ didn't want to look at; she couldn't imagine facing a stranger who'd seen them. Not to mention the drawer underneath those held her bras and there was no mistaking what her tanks concealed if they were accidentally jarred.

Clearing her throat, she nodded in agreement. "Thank you. I can take the drawers downstairs now, though, so you don't have to be inconvenienced."

"They're not inconvenienced, Kagome," came Kouga's drawl from behind her, startling her enough that she jumped. "They're just bitching because they have nothing better to do."

Grins flashed from the weres at her reaction and there was nothing she could do to fight the blush flaring up her cheeks. "They probably have a lot of better things to do than move my stuff."

Those grins faded in different measures to a variety of frowns.

"Are you pack?" the first one asked.

"Well—"

"Yes," came Kouga behind her again.

"Then we have nothing better to do." This from the second one, an eerie calm settling over him. "But you are right — this would be a lot easier to move if the drawers were taken out. So we'll take a break outside and that should give you time to get that done."

"And then we'll have no problem moving the rest to your room."

The three were gone before she could voice a complaint, quick on their feet as they left her alone with Kouga's presence rumbling from the kitchen.

"Kouga," she said, turning to find him leaning against the wall, hands tucked nonchalantly in his pockets, "this is too much. I can't possibly—"

"Wolves are social creatures," he interrupted. "Did you know that?"

She nodded, the many mentions of 'pack' giving evidence to that.

"Humans are, too, and in surprisingly similar ways."

This she knew, her own family coming to mind. The many dinners they had together, the movie nights, cleaning days, her entire life filled with moments spent together.

"Vampires, I'm not entirely sure about, but see here," he shifted, took a step closer and squarely met her eye, "you have enough human in you that you need family. Friends. Some sort of social circle for support. And with our particular blend of human and wolf, we're not the kind to ignore that."

"I have a family," she croaked out. "And friends."

His jaw ticked, but his eyes softened and she knew she wasn't going to like his words. "Friends that leave you when you need them most?"

Her gaze dropped, catching on his shoulder. The words hurt and cut deep, but they were true.

"I'm not saying that to be mean, Kagome." His hand rubbed along her arm. "But right now, you need people who know what you are and can help. Only one person from your old life is able to do that and we don't know where he is."

Tears stung her eyes, her nose, heat coming off her cheeks as she fought back the jagged emotions threatening to erupt.

"We'll figure it out," Kouga said softly, his voice a warm caress. "You'll be safe. And if that means I figure out how to put in a bathroom in the basement in a month, then that's what I'll do."

She sniffed, clenching her jaw against the tears, and managed to offer him a smile. "You've already done so much, Kouga. You don't have to do that for me."

"I know. I'm not." His blunt reply shocked her into meeting his gaze again, a wicked gleam shining in that field of blue. "I've been wanting to put one in for a while. This just gives me the perfect excuse to do it now rather than wait for a more convenient time."

Kagome couldn't help the smile then, even knowing he was lying for her sake. He might have wanted the bathroom, but something in her sternum told her he was doing this for _her_. To make this easier on her. Even so, she appreciated the comfort he seemed to know she needed.

"Alright, do you want help with the drawers?" he asked, moving toward the dresser. "You can point out which ones are safe for me to grab and I promise I won't look."

"Start with the bottom drawers," she answered. They were filled with sweatpants and shorts. "I'll get the top three."

He smiled and she swore her heart skipped at the gentleness in his gaze. It wasn't fair. Completely wasn't fair. Even when she had a crush on Inuyasha within the first few months of knowing him, she didn't react like this. And now she was going to live with him and that charming smile and beautiful face and tempting body.

Kouga easily pulled the bottom drawer out, removed it from the dresser with care, and she waited until he was moving to pull out her drawers. The two small underwear drawers came out first, then the one next filled with bras, tank tops, and…well… _things_. The smaller drawers fit into the larger one and she wasted no time lifting that and heading down to the basement.

The dresser followed quickly and finally, when the last bit of the sun's rays disappeared and left the sky a dark, beautiful night, she climbed in Kouga's truck and let him drive her into town to help with the last of her apartment.


	7. Empty

_Y'all are going to fucking hate me._

* * *

Her apartment was practically empty. Most furniture was gone, pictures off the walls, her rugs rolled up and resting in the corner. The kitchen was sparse, her bathroom completely cleaned out, a few boxes left in the living room, and only a broom propped against the window in her bedroom.

The last time Kagome saw her apartment, it had been bursting with life. Now everything she worked for, everything she collected and bought and made, it was gone.

Not _gone_ gone, she knew. Most of the boxes were at Kouga's house. Her furniture was being unloaded into his garage until they could figure out what to do with it. Her car was waiting down in the parking lot, one of the weres starting to load the remaining boxes in the backseat. But it wasn't here.

And through it all Kouga stood aside, watching quietly as she walked through the empty shell she had once called her home.

"I still have a few months left of my lease," she said softly.

Kouga didn't respond.

"My neighbors," she continued, refusing to look at him. "They'll wonder where I am. And I'll have to figure out how to tell my work I won't be coming back." Her shoulders shifted in an attempt at a shrug. "Not like I can work with all those windows."

The silence in the apartment was deafening.

"Mom helped me find this apartment." The words wouldn't stop. One after the other, Kagome let her mouth wander. "She contacted an old friend of my father's when we started looking. The units here go so quickly that when one opened up, he pulled a favor to keep it on hold until we could look at it."

She moved into the kitchen, needing something to do. All this energy, all these swirling emotions cooped up so tight, she couldn't make sense of any of them. She had to move, had to touch, had to help.

"My brother helped me pick out the furniture." She opened a cabinet and when she found it empty, she went through the rest one by one. "Mom couldn't get over here until the week after I moved in, so Souta spent three days with me. Only thing I had was this awful air mattress we set up in the living room. The next day, we went shopping and the first thing we did when we got my bed was throw the air mattress in the trash."

Nothing in the cabinets, nothing in the pantry, nothing in the fridge. Nothing in her dining room. Nothing on the walls. Nothing. Her apartment, her home, it was bare as it was when she first moved in.

"Kouga."

She could hear his footsteps, but didn't turn around. Couldn't turn around. She knew what she'd see — that same pity and pain she saw the night before when he told her she'd never see the sun again. Only she knew this would be worse. So much worse.

"What am I going to tell anyone?" Dread curled in her stomach, a twisting, poisonous thing that threatened to choke her. "What am I going to say?"

One warm hand gripped her arm and turned her into his chest, the other wrapping around her back to cup her shoulder. "We don't have to talk about this right now."

He was keeping something from her. His tone spoke of more horrors she would have to face. Fear and pain twisted in her stomach. "I dont' have a job anymore. I don't have a home." Kagome let him cradle her face into the curve of his neck. "Do I have anything?"

This close to him, she heard him swallow. Felt his jaw flex. "You have me," he rasped out. "You have the pack."

"My friends? My life?" She fought around the lump in her throat, pushing through the last truth she never wanted to hear. "My family?"

His silence spoke loudly into the apartment. "Kagome," he finally said, oh so soft in her ear.

One hand fisted into his shirt, her muscles tense. A wave of numbness trickled down her spine.

"When Inuyasha turned you, you died." His voice was gentle, his arms around her strong, his body warm. His words were daggers. "You can't go out in sunlight. You can't survive without drinking blood. You're going to stop aging. What you are now is not supposed to exist according to the world, so you can't let anyone know."

A sob tore out of her.

"Right now, the only people you can be around are the people who know what you are."

Her fist tightened, her body jerked against him. "But—"

"Inuyasha should have done a whole lot to prepare turning you, but he didn't. From what you told me, he couldn't."

Tears leaked from her eyes, the numbness spreading through her and turning cold. What Kouga was saying, it couldn't be what she thought it was. It just couldn't.

"Now, we have to make the best of what we have." Kouga's hand moved from her shoulder to her head, stroking softly over her hair. "There are a few options and we'll go over them later."

"What—"

" _Kagome_." A firm order filtered through his voice, both calming and demanding her attention. "Not here. Not now."

She swallowed, tears still sliding down her cheeks. She didn't know why he couldn't tell her everything now, why he wanted to wait, but she knew he wouldn't budge. Something about what he said, the way he said it, Kagome couldn't bring herself to push. And she found she didn't want to.

"My family?" she asked instead and regretted her words the moment his body stilled. "Kouga. What about my family?"

"Kagome." This time, instead of the command her name held earlier, it held grief. "Your family knows you best, don't they?"

She nodded.

"Then they would know something was wrong as soon as they saw you, wouldn't they?"

No nod this time, just more tears as her shoulders trembled.

"Kagome."

She pressed her face into his neck, twisted his shirt in her grip. "I can't see my family again," she choked out, finishing the picture he was painting for her. "I can't—my family—Kouga. No. I can't—"

Her shoulders shook as her words cut off. Never see her family again? Never listen to her mom's advice or Grandpa's crazy stories? Never tease Souta again or watch him grow into the wonderful man he's becoming? Never have another dinner, another movie night, another holiday spent with them?

"No," she begged. "Please, Kouga. Please tell me I'm wrong. Please tell me I can see them. That I won't lose them."

His arms tightened around her, but he said nothing. Her knees buckled and he took her weight, lowering them both to the floor.

"Please Kouga," she cried, her voice hoarse with tears. "This can't be happening. I can't—I have to see them again. I have to."

Her words fell on deaf ears. Kouga said nothing, simply held her against his chest and rocked her right there on the floor of her empty kitchen.

"Say something, Kouga." Kagome had to hear something. She _needed_ to. "Please."

His hand brushed through her hair, resting against her nape. "There's nothing I can say that's going to make this easier, Kagome."

"Please."

He adjusted her against his body and she let him. Let him get them both as comfortable as possible. Let him do whatever he wanted. 'You're not alone," he murmured. "You have us. You have the pack. We don't replace your family and I would never want to, but you're not going to be alone."

Kagome already didn't know what she would do without him, without the pack, without their strength to stand on. "Inuyasha knew."

The rocking stilled. "Knew what would happen to you?"

She nodded.

His sigh ruffled through her hair. "Yeah."

"How could he?"

"I don't know, Kagome," Kouga murmured. His tone was soothing, even through the thick of her pain. "I wasn't there. I have no idea what he was thinking." Another movement of his hand, another beat of his pulse. "You were close friends, right?"

She nodded. They were close friends. Still were. He was the first person she met when she moved to the city, the first friend she made away from home. He knew her better than almost any other friend she'd ever had.

"Then I imagine he panicked." He rocked her again. "An elevator crash isn't a pretty scene, especially if there was someone in it."

She knew this. She could remember the fear, the sounds, the pain. "But my _family_ ," she rasped out.

At that, Kouga had no response and Kagome could find nothing else to say. Nothing she wanted to say. Saying anything would hurt. Hearing him speak would hurt. Everything…everything _hurt_.

Kagome lost her friends, her family, the very life she lived, and for what? To continue existing as a shell permanently locked away from everything she loved? What did this new life have to offer?

She didn't know how long she sat there crying. Long enough for her tears to run dry and her legs turn numb, but not once did Kouga complain. He simply held her, only breaking the silence to keep the other weres out of the kitchen. She would have to thank him later for that. Privacy seemed like such a ridiculously small thing in this new world of horror, but she treasured the small moments Kouga saved for her.

Shouts came from the hallway, finally drawing her attention. She couldn't find it in her to move, but was grateful for the distraction from her thoughts. Maybe something else would help her stand on her own feet.

The shouting got closer, followed by loud thuds and bangs along the way. An angry " _What are you doing here?_ " came from her front door and Kagome couldn't help but wonder just who could infuriate the gentle-mannered were so easily.

"Get outta my way!" came a shockingly familiar voice before the door slammed open. "Kagome?! Kagome!"

She froze, not believing what she was hearing. More fights, more shouting while a rumbling growl filled her ears, growing louder and louder until a blur of red drew her gaze to the edge of the kitchen.

"Hey!" Inuyasha stood there wearing robes she'd never seen him wear before, his silver hair a tousled mess over his shoulders, and his face a demanding glare sent toward the werewolf holding her.

The growl rose to a terrifying snarl and Kagome realized it was Kouga making the sound. Her gaze darted to him and found his eyes narrowed and fangs bared as he returned Inuyasha's glare.

"What are you doing here, you mangy wolf?! Get your hands off Kagome!"


	8. Stand

_I started writing this chapter from Kouga's POV. I liked the idea of following a chapter formula: 3 chapters Kagome, 1 chapter Kouga, 1 chapter other, repeat. And while I finished the chapter and had it all planned out, I hated it. This scene is about Kagome. So I accepted that stories are organic things and I should stop trying to fit in patterns where they don't fit and rewrote the chapter._

 _Love it so much more. It make more sense._

 _Anywho. Hope this was worth the wait. :) Let me know what you think!_

 _/_

 _Edited 10/31/19. :)_

* * *

"Inuyasha." He was here? He came back? Kagome turned toward him and was surprised to see anger all over his face.

"What are you doing with these animals?" he demanded, taking a step into the kitchen. "Why aren't you in my apartment where I left you?"

Kouga stilled behind her, his entire body tense as if ready to move quickly. A low rumble came from his chest and it took her a moment to realize he was growling. For her? Or because Inuyasha was there?

"Where—" she tried, her voice hoarse from crying. Again. Seemed she couldn't stop that particular habit, but rather than focus on why she'd been crying she cleared her throat and tried again. "Where did you go?"

Inuyasha blinked at her question, those unique amber eyes of his catching off the fluorescent lighting overhead. "I had to take care of something."

"You had something to take care of right here," Kouga rumbled low and hard, his voice filling the space as he gently pulled her to her feet.

"Kouga," Kagome murmured, her hand landing on his arm. She didn't want a fight. She didn't want a confrontation. She wanted answers and comfort and sleep. And food. What she wouldn't give to be able to munch on a cracker right now.

"I had to take care of something," Inuyasha sneered at Kouga. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Inuyasha." Her voice was stronger now, a scold present in her tone. "Why did you leave me?"

"I had to," came an unsatisfying response.

Kouga jerked behind her, but she ignored him for Inuyasha. Her friend. Something was going on with him and she didn't know what. What she did know, though, was that she was far past letting him shrug her off. This was more than missing their lunch date or leaving her texts on read for a day or two.

He'd changed her entire life. She wasn't going to let him ignore that.

"You couldn't take me with you?" she pushed through her growing hurt and frustration.

A warm hand cupped her shoulder in support. She wasn't alone. And while she knew Kouga was there, she took strength from the reminder.

"You were perfectly safe where I left you."

Multiple snarls echoed through her apartment in answer, the loudest one coming from directly behind her. It was terrifying, the sound an angry warning before an attack. She couldn't keep from flinching and she knew she was safe — how could Inuyasha stand there without reacting to the threat?

"What, did they tell you differently?" he scoffed. He always did flaunt his ego when he was unsure. "Mangy animals. They probably filled your head with all sorts of lies. Why did you believe them?"

Kagome swallowed as she let his words sink in. So much anger, so many accusations, entirely too much to address when she barely had the energy to stand. Rather than fight his ego after the hell of the last few days, she focused on what she needed him to address. "I didn't know what to believe. I woke up and you were gone."

"I told ya," he snapped, growing even more visibly frustrated, "I had to take care of something."

"And I told you," Kouga growled, "you had something to take care of right here."

" _Kouga_." This time she did turn to look at him and waited for him to meet her gaze. His blue eyes were stormy, a tinge of red starting to outline his irises, his jaw a hard line of anger, but it wasn't aimed at her. "Please don't."

He stared at her silently, probably taking in her puffy eyes and raw nose and the fatigue all over her posture. She didn't know what he saw, but whatever it was must have been enough because his eyes softened and he nodded, giving her shoulder another squeeze.

Relief swept through her. She wouldn't have to fight them both.

"You were safe," Inuyasha insisted when she turned back to him. "I had to deal with something, but I was going to be back before ya needed to feed."

"Then why didn't you tell me that?"

Apparently, she wasn't supposed to question him because his eyes flared and his neck started to turn red. "It wasn't important!"

 _It wasn't important?_ Did he hear what he was saying? "One minute, I was crushed in a broken elevator and the next, my veins were on fire and I was vomiting up blood in your bathroom," she said, walking through the steps verbally to make her point as Kouga's hand slid down her back in support. "Next thing after that, you're telling me this awful story about being a vampire since before I ever met you and because you didn't want me to die, I'm now a vampire, too."

"Kagome—"

"Then," she continued, ignoring Inuyasha's interruption, "as soon as I'm miraculously able to walk again, you shove me into your bathroom while another vampire was in your living room and before I know anything else, I wake up to an empty apartment."

Her words settled around them then turned into silence. Even facing the stone expression on Inuyasha's face, she couldn't back down. She was important, no matter what he tried to convince her of.

Taking a breath, she forced patience and understanding and everything she always needed when he resorted to being stubborn. "I shouldn't have to tell you that leaving me alone like you did was wrong."

Another rumble came from behind her, this one soothing instead of angry. Encouragement from Kouga, she interpreted, and treasured the small flutter it put in her stomach. She'd wait until after this was over to revisit that little bit of pleasure.

"I had no other choice, Kagome."

She studied him, taking in the tone and the look on his face. Inuyasha was skilled in a lot of things, but lying wasn't one of them. She knew him, she knew him well, and he wasn't lying now. "Why? Why did you have no choice?"

His gaze glanced off hers.

"You introduced me to your brother—"

" _Half_ -brother," he corrected and Kagome knew she was done.

She stopped, closed her mouth, and looked at him again. _Really_ looked at him and sought out what she didn't want to see. He was ignoring her. All of her emotions, all of her pain, all of her fear, her entire recount of her nightmare. She was scrambling to find footing in a world she'd never known existed — one he pulled her into — and he was turning a blind eye to her struggle.

"You don't get it." He was letting his stubborn get in the way of his sense. It happened, it used to happen often, but this was one time she couldn't let it slide. "You're not listening to me."

"I _am_ listening," he argued.

Kagome shook her head. She'd tried for so long and it hadn't been a problem in a while, but now? Standing in her empty kitchen when it mattered the most?

"I'm trying to tell you what I went though, what I felt, and you find it more important to clarify your relationship with that vampire than anything I could have to say."

He hurt her, changed her life, left alone, kept her in the dark, and when she finally had the chance to talk to him, he was more concerned about semantics?

"Kagome—"

"Sorry to interrupt," another voice grumbled, the really deep one of the were that had helped her up the stairs earlier.

Inuyasha huffed, but she didn't look at him. She was done — for now, at least. Tonight. Maybe tomorrow, she'd know what to do.

"We need to go." The were's eyes flicked back and forth between them before he turned to Kouga. "There's a detective in the lobby. He seems extremely interested in all the extra people around this apartment, especially with the busted elevator."

A detective? About the elevator? People were in and out of this apartment complex all the time. It wasn't uncommon for people to be loitering about at this time of night. Why would he be here now?

"Is there anything else you need, Kagome?" Kouga asked her. His voice was gentle, but there was a steel thread underneath.

Something else was going on and she didn't have a clue what it was. While she wanted to ask now, after dealing with Inuyasha, she just wanted to go home. Well, Kouga's home. Her bed.

What a mess.

"No," she answered softly, finally turning away from the man she'd considered her closest friend. "You guys got everything I needed."

"There's a back exit we can use," the other were said as Kouga's warm hand on her back guided her from the kitchen. "We'll keep the cop distracted while you sneak out without him noticing."

"Why do I need to hide?"

"Fangs," Kouga answered, tapping onto one of his own. "You haven't learned how to hide yours yet and, adorable as they are, they're a big red flag that you're not quite human anymore."

He thought her fangs were adorable?

"Where do you think you're going, Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded behind her.

Her shoulders dropped. Did he really not know how much pain he was causing her?

"She's going home," Kouga answered for her when she remained silent. "She wants to talk to you, we'll set it up, but I'm not letting her stick around for more of your abuse tonight."

"You have no right," Inuyasha hissed, his anger hotter than she'd ever heard. "I made her."

Kouga turned then and the flash of his canines was terrifying. Long, pointed, sharp, and _real_. Much more real than anything he'd let her see so far. "Kagome's part of my pack." It was a solid statement, battering out and filling the room with a weighted claim that even Inuyasha couldn't seem to fight. "You got a problem, file a petition with your fucking Council."

She didn't look back as the other weres ushered her out of the apartment, their expressions closed as they guided her down the stairwell. Kouga joined her soon after, the slam of the door echoing off the concrete.

 _I made her._ Those three words bounced around in her head, highlighting her hurt and frustration. Her anger. An entire conversation of him shifting responsibility off his shoulders only for him to claim her when it suited him?

"Thank you," she told Kouga when they got into his car.

He didn't answer until they were out of the parking lot. "For what?"

"Taking me in."

He drove in silence until they stopped at a red light closer to his home and when he turned to face her, she couldn't resist meeting her gaze. "I've said it before, but I'll say it again as many times as it takes — you're pack. And the one thing you will never have to do is thank us for taking care of our own."


	9. Scout

The city looked different since she last visited. Cleaner, clearer, a little busier. Some of the buildings Sango remembered were still here and maintained well. A few signs of the years visible along the line of roofs and down the alleys. It never made sense to her for companies to waste money on keeping up something that was going to forever be dirty and it seemed some of them agreed.

The new street lights blended in well.

East Point always looked well-maintained, more businesses and corporations, some apartment complexes, and the university close by helped it keep its luster. To the west in Lake Ridge would be where more disparity showed — residential areas were always hit and miss when it came to upkeep. It would be easy to tell which neighborhoods adopted HOA's and other similar methods of maintaining standards apart from the ones who preferred to let the inhabitants live as they pleased.

Downtown would be a nice blend. City Hall sat just between the distinction of downtown and East Point which led to lovely parks and beautiful architecture and carefully managed landscaping. Sango had always enjoyed strolling through on a lazy afternoon, content to fill her time with the passing of the city.

She wouldn't be heading there on this trip. From the intel provided, residences in East Point and Lake Ridge were confirmed and it was up to her to figure out why the corpses scattered along the northern points were so far away.

Typically, newly turned vampires stayed fairly close to where they were turned until they learned to live on their own. Don't draw attention, gain steady footing, learn with people who wouldn't be suspicious of your presence — all standard vampire operation. Why drained carcasses were showing up ten miles from either spotting and nothing in between, she hadn't been able to figure out yet. But she would. She always did.

She hated vampires, hated dealing with them and doing their dirty work, but business was business and she was the best money could buy. Discreet, skilled, and successful, Sango knew exactly why they called her in even before Sesshoumaru appeared. Though his arrival was an odd kink in this one. Standing for a brother he never claimed was so unheard of, the gossip had reached her even before she was summoned to clean up the mess.

Oh well. That would be a mystery to solve another day should she find herself bored. For now, she needed to stay focused on the job.

There was no one at the first address. It was a nice house in a quiet neighborhood. She was hoping for some movement in the house, but was greeted with dark windows. No car in the driveway, though some tire marks in the grass looked recent. Maybe they left for dinner.

The house didn't make much sense, she thought as she looked at it further. All those windows would be deadly for a vampire and the friendly, settled neighborhood would complicate feeding with its lack of varied foot traffic. Vampire Rule Number One was to not feed on people you would see everyday. Although if this one was responsible for the recent deaths, it didn't matter either way.

Tucking her thoughts in the back of her mind to revisit later, Sango made her way across the city. There was an apartment in one of the complexes rented to one Higurashi, Kagome on the sixth floor. It was the same one that housed Sesshoumaru's half-brother and recently had an accident with one of the elevators. "Lucky," the news said, that no one had been inside when the malfunction occurred.

 _Lucky_ and _vampire_ often mixed. Anyone in the know who looked at the facts knew exactly what happened. It always amused her how willingly oblivious humans could be when they wanted. Much easier to believe nothing else existed than realize they weren't at the top of the food chain.

The complex was oddly loud. Multiple cars were parked outside, a lot of people moving on the street, and a number of people milling out in the back parking lot. A tingling along her spine had her looking closer, observing the fluid movements most people would attribute to dancers. But these weren't dancers. Werewolves. Those were all werewolves.

What were werewolves doing at the home of a vampire?

There were a couple at the front entrance conversing with a tall man in a decently-fitting suit. Cared for shoes scuffed along the heel, a sports coat that had seen better days, and mussed hair she was certain he ran his fingers through — he reeked of cop. Looking around, she spotted his unmarked vehicle, the dark tinted windows and subtle reinforcement to the bumpers dead giveaways. Detective, it seemed. But for what division? And why would he be here?

The detective and the werewolves were speaking too low for her to hear, so she quietly moved toward the entrance. She would be good as long as she kept to the shadows.

"…just helping a friend move," one of the wires was saying, his mohawk an easy identifier.

"This late at night?"

The detective's voice was low and smooth, almost melodic if she were to describe it. Sango inched closer.

"We all had to work," said the other one, his multicolored hair striking as well. "And with the elevator busted, we figured it was easier to work at night than deal with the stairs in the middle of the day."

It was far too conspicuous for her, but then again she knew the elevator accident covered more secrets than most.

"Which apartment number?"

Both weres blinked, looking at each other before their stances changed. More aware, more alert, and more like werewolves in vampire territory than the two college kids they had previously been trying to play. Their cooperation so far made sense; it wouldn't be smart to get into trouble with the local police force, but even Sango knew the detective was hovering perilously close to inappropriate lines.

"Is there something going on?" Mohawk asked, his head tilting in question.

"If there was a problem, we'd be answering to the apartment super, right?" chimed Two-Tone.

"Have there been any complaints made?"

She was impressed. The two knew the right questions to paint the picture they wanted and if the detective pressed further, he'd be violating some serious privacy laws.

"I was simply curious," the cop said calmly. "I know the elevator was out so I was curious as to who would want to move furniture now rather than wait for it to be fixed."

"So you randomly stopped by just because you were curious?"

"Checking in on the crime scene." He was smooth. "Word is that contractors should be out tomorrow to start repairs and I wanted to make sure everything from our forensics team was cleaned up."

Listening and watching him, someone would never know the man was lying, but those two werewolves would be able to smell it. She watched them for any signs of his deceit, sven though something told her that he was careful. While he might not be telling the truth, he might not be lying either.

"Well, don't let us keep you!" Dye-Happy said. "We're finishing up now and you'll have a quiet floor to look at."

The two disappeared down the hallway, probably off to meet with the rest of the weres out back. The detective watched them go, silent but still. If that were Sango, she'd be going after them, reasonable suspicion or not. Then again, she wasn't a cop — at least not a human one. They didn't have the same restrictions.

The detective waited until the back doors closed then sighed. He rocked back on his heels and checked his watch. It was a pretty flash of silver, not too gaudy but nice and clean. Something a little more than a normal cop's salary would splurge on. Must have been a gift, she concluded with unwarranted attention. He raked his fingers through his hair then headed toward the elevator.

Sango waited until he was out of the entrance before heading around the building to the back. As intriguing as that cop and his silky, perfect hair was, she had a job to do — and it seemed those werewolves just might know something about it.

* * *

 _This chapter felt so jilted and jarring when I first wrote it and it took me far longer than I want to admit to edit it and smooth it out BUT HERE IT IS. More of the plot I keep dancing around. Honestly, the more of the plot I introduce, the more scared of it I get, but I'm going to continue and push through because this personal challenge has been a lot of fun._

 _With that said, I hope you enjoyed this little 'break' and introduction of Sango as much as I do. Let me know what you think!_


	10. Search

_*waves*_

 _I edited chapter 8 (the Inuyasha confrontation) and fleshed out a little more in that chapter. I think it fits Kagome better, though it only has a few conversation changes. Give that a (re)read if you want! I like it a lot more._

 _This one took longer than I thought because I actually didn't know it was going to be the next chapter. I hit the end of what is now Chapter 11 and realized I needed something in between. So, here's the in between!_

 _Let me know what you think! I really like how this is all forming and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Enjoy!_

* * *

The elevator was clean and ready to be repaired, but that didn't hold Miroku's attention. He wasn't certain why he kept coming back here, why this building kept nagging at him when thinking about the most recent murders, why he ignored the leads and kept returning to what should have been a horrific accident.

Something about the way those guys moved didn't help, either. Easygoing and carefree until they didn't need to be. Efficient and economical movements, no erroneous energy expended, nothing wasted as they moved down the hall. It would be easy to slip around the other way, see what's going on in the back parking lot of the building, figure out who else they were with.

He didn't. Something kept him there, something in the back of his head leaving him standing right where he was and just…listening.

The noise level had been quiet for a few minutes when the stairwell next to him banged open. Miroku stepped aside calmly, watching as the white-haired man stormed out. He kept silent, the instincts that saved his life more than once telling him to watch. The man looked down the hall, pushed the front doors open and looked into the parking lot, then swung back inside.

And noticed Miroku.

His gaze flicked down and then up, the sneer on his mouth the same that had been there when he stepped out of the stairwell. Nothing personal, Miroku thought. It was easy to see through the rude exterior to whatever was underneath.

This man was angry. Incredibly angry, but Miroku also thought he might be worried. Granted, that was an unfounded guess based on gut feelings — he wouldn't know unless the man decided to tell him though.

"Got a problem?" the man demanded gruffly.

Miroku gave an innocent smile. "Not one."

He huffed, spared one last dismissive glare, then turned back to the stairwell.

"Have a good night," Miroku added, cheer in his tone as his phone chimed from his coat pocket.

"Whatever." The silver haired man disappeared down the stairs toward the basement before the door closed behind him.

Interesting. He'd have to find out who lived down there. Not many complexes housed living areas under the ground floor.

Pulling out his phone, his heart dropped as he saw the message. A quick call later and he was out of the building and in his car, heading north.

Another body.

Three now. Three bodies bled out and dumped carelessly. Although this one was different, according to what he knew so far. It seemed the killer was getting a little careless, this corpse being discovered so quickly and apparently recently dead, according to dispatch.

And the crime scene was worse, Miroku discovered when he crossed the tape and looked at the body. Blood splatter on the pavement, the throat sloppily slit before being dumped. It was around the same area the previous ones had and he'd bet his coat forensics would find the wound was made from the same angle, but he'd focus on those similarities later. Right now, he had to find the differences. Find the mistakes, more clues to the story.

The escalation was starting already and it was far sooner than he had predicted. More blood seemed to be left with this victim, though not enough to survive on. Maybe he'd be able to find something with that information.

"Any ID?" he asked one of the crime scene techs.

"One Abe Muso. Wallet still in his pants, money and cards untouched."

"Not surprising. The others hadn't been robberies either."

Though there hadn't been much on the other victims to steal. However, this was the first victim to still be carrying cash, so it was something to note.

"You think it's connected?"

Miroku looked at the man. "You think it's not?"

He shrugged. "It looks the same, but there's always a chance." The tech watched as another snapped photos of the scene. "Slim chance it seems. If these aren't connected, I'd want to start looking at who was leaking info."

Miroku hummed in agreement. Too similar to be a run of the mill murder, but something wasn't quite right. He thought over the previous scenes and how they found the victims, what was going on in the vicinity. This one wasn't as secluded, a little better lit, and had more food traffic.

If the person bled out, the perp must have run immediately rather than waiting around like they had been doing.

Did that mean they were spotted? He made a note to meet with the other cops on the scene. Whoever found the body might have seen something else, whether they realized it or not. One clue could solve this, he knew. He just had to keep looking until he found it.

...

Just her luck, the werewolves took her across the city again and right back to the house she first looked at. It wasn't empty this time — lights were blazing, the garage door open, and different weres unloading furniture and boxes with a few more traipsing between the inside and the garage. They weren't loud enough to wake any neighbors, but they definitely weren't silent. Jokes and laughs and references to a 'she' in the basement painted a pretty clear picture for Sango.

The vampire was moving in with a werewolf.

The pack alpha, if her information was correct. She didn't know much about this particular pack, though before this case she hadn't really needed to. All she had were simple basics: clear territory boundaries, self-contained, haven't had an issue with a vampire in 37 years, a human in 83. Sold real estate and helped new members get on their feet quickly.

It was a good setup. Solid and steady and inconspicuous when it needed to be. It would be a good place for a new vampire to grow, she admitted, as long as she wasn't killing. If she was killing, then the addition of werewolves would make for an interesting case they hadn't seen before. Would this alpha now stand for her sire?

Sango scoffed at her own thoughts as she slipped into the backyard of a neighboring house and silently made her way over. If this vampire was really the one killing, the werewolves wouldn't be taking her in. The race as a whole despised the things vampires have gotten away with. In many cities, they were usually the ones contracted to take out any vampire gone rogue when a hunter wasn't available.

Werewolves, in their own unique way, have largely adopted a protective role over humans. Some vampires believed they were trying to remain human, but she had other ideas. Vampires typically rejected any leftover human characteristics while werewolves seemed to cherish them. It could simply be that lingering humanity that guided their moral compass.

She believed they cared.

Sango couldn't see this stable pack taking in a rogue. It didn't fit with the current profile, but that didn't explain the bodies found. She still had to hunt down whoever was causing this mess. Before she could do that though, she had to follow protocol to ensure this little vamp wasn't the problem.

A buzz at her hip pulled her attention away from the figures moving through the house. Grabbing her phone from her pocket and checking the screen, she answered the call and held it up to her ear.

"There's another one," the other voice on the line said without introduction. "Freshly dead, body still warm, suspected to have bled out."

Sango gently tapped her nail to the phone's microphone twice. She couldn't risk these werewolves discovering her before she was ready.

"North again, a mile from the other ones. The bodies are getting closer to central."

She ended the call, tapped her own message to the caller in a text, and sent it.

Definitely not this vampire. Couldn't be. Unless the vampire wasn't in that house, in which case Sango would have to find her. But her gut was telling her that her target was inside and she'd eat her shoe if these werewolves were letting her kill anything.

Stretching from her spot, she slid her phone back into her pocket and quietly made her way back out to the street. She'd have to confirm the vampire was there. And with a house full of weres, there was really only one smart way to go about doing that.


	11. Change

The house was lively at three in the morning. With all the extra help, it took almost no time configuring the basement into something that could work for her bedroom while still having a place for entertainment. While still not offering the privacy she would really want, it was a great temporary solution to not having a home.

Kouga even managed to unearth a privacy screen from one of the were's house and used it to help section off her bed and dresser. "At least until I can put up a wall. We might not have enough space to give you a separate bedroom, but I think we can manage a type of studio layout."

She'd tried protesting, but it fell on deaf ears. Granted her protests had started to lose their original fire. It was hard to keep denying all the help the pack was offering. They were just so… _accepting_. It was weird, but nice.

"Hey Kagome," Ginta called from the top of the stairs, "want a beer?"

She glanced up in confusion. "Can I drink beer?"

"Sure," he answered with a laugh. "Anyone can _drink_ it."

Kagome blew out a huff even as a smile grew. Their sense of humor was hard to ignore. "I mean, is there any point?"

"I dunno. You're the first vampire I've wanted to have a drink with. It's a learning experience for all of us."

She considered it as she cast one final look around the room. They'd done so much work and were already talking about what more they could do to help. Taking a break sounded fun, even if she didn't know what would happen. Making her way up the stairs, she called out her answer. "Sure, I'll give it a shot."

A chorus of cheers erupted from the kitchen at that and she found a bottle in her hands as soon as she stepped onto the tile.

"To our new packmate," Hakkaku said, holding his bottle out toward hers as Ginta popped the tab off hers.

The other weres answered the toast and with a shy smile, she tapped her bottle around before taking a hesitant sip. It was crisp, smooth, and…subtle? She checked the label and frowned. She remembered trying this ale before and not being a fan, but now it tasted almost good. Another sip confirmed the first one and deepened her confusion.

"Everything okay?" one of them asked, nudging her with their shoulder.

"Yeah, it's just," she paused and took another sip. "I remember having this beer, well, _before_ and I didn't like it."

That caught the attention of more weres.

"And you like it now?"

Another sip. Just as smooth as the first one. Just as good. It was so weird. "Yeah."

"So it changes your taste buds, too."

"What?" She glanced up at Hakkaku, waiting for him to explain.

"The change for werewolves," he took a pull from his beer. "Over time, our body changes as we settle into our wolf. The first couple of moons bring out all sorts of changes as we adjust and one of those is our sense of taste."

"And that happens with every werewolf?"

"Yep," Ginta answered. "Some faster than others and in different ways, but when your body chemistry changes, it doesn't just affect one single thing."

"Our method of survival changes," came a low, deep answer from the were who interrupted Inuyasha earlier — Katsu was his name, she'd learned. "The wolf wants raw meat and the human still wants food. The two adjust until they can balance each other out."

She listened, fascinated by this new information that made complete sense. "The guys were telling me the first few hunts were rough," she offered, recalling that conversation after her feeding. "I'm guessing when your taste buds settle, it gets easier to deal with?"

"You got it." Katsu gave her a dashing smile. "It seems like we'd constantly be at war with ourselves torn between animal and man when really, both extremes are dulled until they blend into a new being."

"So you get to keep some of your human traits?"

He thought about that one before answering. "In some ways. It'll never be the same again, but it's…similar enough to feel like it."

Weres to her right shifted, drawing her attention as they parted to give Kouga access to the fridge. She stepped aside to let him grab his own beer, trying very hard to keep from letting her gaze linger too long.

He said her fangs were adorable. That was enough for one night.

Forcing her eyes back onto Katsu, she unconsciously lowered her voice. "Do you know if vampires keep any of their human traits?"

His hazel eyes softened as he shrugged. "At this point, your guess is as good as mine. Vampires don't share much in my experience. The few I've dealt with act as if any human life they might've had is obsolete."

She couldn't fathom it. No matter how many years lived, how could anyone forget being human?

"Some vampires were never human," another werewolf added, this one darker than most with beseechingly brown eyes. He was Akito if she remembered correctly. "They call themselves 'old ones' and they're born just like humans are."

"Born?" she repeated.

"It's not common, though," Katsu said, his brows furrowing, "and you can only 'birth' another vampire if you were born that way yourself."

"Yeah, true. For instance, since you were turned from a human," Akito tapped his beer bottle against hers, "you can only create vampires by turning humans. You couldn't find a vampire daddy and create tiny vampire babies."

 _Oh_. Out of all the changes her body was going through, that one hadn't yet crossed her mind. But the thought of finding a 'vampire daddy' made her giggle. She'd think on the rest of it another time. "How are vampires born?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know." Taking a sip of beer, he shifted closer as more weres moved into the kitchen behind him. "Most of what we know about vampires is pieced together. They keep their secrets and we keep ours."

"Can a vampire be turned into a werewolf?"

"No," Katsu answered. "A vampire's body is by all accounts dead. It can't be turned into anything else."

A commotion towards the front of the house rose and Kagome was fascinated to watch each were turn, listen, and unknowingly angle themselves toward whatever was going on. Conversations continued, but each pair of eyes kept darting over, seeing something she couldn't catch.

"What's going on?" she asked softly.

"I think there's someone—"

"Kouga!" came a loud voice from the front. "This lady at the door wants to know if we're currently housing a vampire."

Kagome's shoulders dropped, her lips pressing closed as her gaze darted off the subtle glances thrown her way, even as the weres shifted to box her more thoroughly in.

"A vampire?" Kouga's incredulous voice came from behind her as he moved through the throng easily. "Why the fuck would a werewolf pack house a vampire?"

His hand gently cupped her shoulder and he shifted her back against the door to the basement. Katsu and Akito stepped closer, blocking her path to the front door. "Don't move until I say so, okay?" Kouga whispered to her, waiting for her nod before he continued through the mass.

"Who's asking, anyway?"

She strained to listen for the answer, but it was too low for her to hear. Some mumbles came around her as Katsu shifted, leaning more comfortable against the door frame. Akito stayed at her side and a few more lingered behind her. She was perfectly cocooned from all sides.

It felt oddly comforting.

"Can you hear what's going on?" she asked quietly after a few moments.

"Not really. They're talking pretty low—"

"Your kind has no business in my territory, hunter." Kouga's hard growl filled the room and Katsu tensed in front of her. "Why are you here?"

"Because the vampire in your kitchen is going to be executed if you don't let me in and confirm that she didn't kill tonight."

* * *

 _Super quick update(!), but that's to make up for the upcoming lull. I've had a plot bunny in my head for the last month or two and I'm really hoping to finish it and get it out for Inuvember. We'll see how it goes._

 _Let me know what you think! I'm loving how the story's shaping up, but really want to hear your thoughts. :)_


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